Inheritance is a much-debated topic around the Muslim world. This week, Tunisia’s president promised to submit a bill to parliament that aims to give women equal inheritance rights with men. His announcement has won praise—and started protests.
President Beji Caid Essebsi says he wants to submit the proposal “as soon as possible.” That will probably be when parliament resumes in October. Essebsi’s announcement was part of a speech marking Women’s Day in Tunisia.
The current system in Tunisia is based on Islamic Shariah law. Those rules usually grant daughters only half the inheritance given to sons. Unequal treatment for females is standard practice in most Muslim countries.
Many Muslim clerics see the inheritance rules as dictated by the Quran, Islam’s holy book.
Since gaining independence from France in 1956, Tunisia has been a leader in the Muslim world for women’s rights. Last month, a woman from Tunisia’s moderate Islamic party was elected mayor of Tunis, the capital. It is the first time a woman has held that post.
Essebsi says his decision is based on Article 2 of the country’s Constitution. He says that law decrees “that Tunisia is a state based on citizenship, the will of the people, and the supremacy of law” rather than religion.
Essebsi’s decision and the possible resulting bill aren’t popular with many in the region. Thousands of fundamentalist men and veiled women marched last week from Tunis to Bardo, outside the capital where Tunisia’s parliament is located. They were protesting the proposed changes. They believe no law should go against the Quran’s teachings.
Christians might sympathize with those who stand by their beliefs. However, clinging to any belief that goes against the one true God is not only wrong—it also has eternal consequences.
This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. — John 17:3
(AP Photo: People demonstrate with a banner reading “Quran text before any other text.”)
